Larry Raddatz received the Mark McAfee Friend of Workforce Development Award at the Dakota-Scott Workforce Investment Board’s (WIB) annual legislative and awards event held Dec. 17 at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center. The award is presented to an individual who has championed workforce issues at the local, state or federal level. Raddatz is the director of manufacturing for Railroad and Technical Training at Dakota County Technical College, Rosemount.LaDonna Boyd, WIB member and economic development director at Dakota Electric, who presented the award, noted “Larry is a very low-key and unassuming individual, but in the spirit of this award – has done so much to help better people’s lives with his quiet determination and leadership.”
Thirty years ago, Raddatz was a WorkForce Center client. He notes that he appreciated the services and opportunities they provided. Now he enjoys helping job seekers gain skills to pursue new careers.
Professionally, he improves employees’ skills by connecting company’s training needs to the right classes – even if those classes need to be “customized” for the employer. He was instrumental in developing a highly-successful, short-term soldering program in conjunction with Dakota-Scott Workforce Services. The program has had excellent success in getting people re-employed. Larry also provides career-related advice by talking to folks at schools and churches.
“The success of the Biomed, Mechatronics, Railroad Conductor and Soldering programs are due in part to the support of the WorkForce Center,” Raddatz said. “Those programs give clients the skills and credentials to succeed in family-supporting careers and just as important, provided local employers with a skilled workforce.”
The award was renamed after Mark McAfee, who died in the past year. He was a former member of the WorkForce Investment Board. The award was previously known as the Friend of the Workforce Development award. LaDonna Boyd (left), with Larry Raddatz recipient of the Mark McAfee Friend of Workforce Development Award and Betsy McAfee.
Previous recipients of the Friend of Workforce Development Award include Dakota County Commissioners Will Branning and Tom Egan, U.S. Representative John Kline, State Representatives Katie Sieben and Denny McNamara, Scott County Commissioner Bob Vogel, Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, Inver Hills Community College President Cheryl Frank and Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland.
The Dakota-Scott Workforce Investment Board oversees employment programs and WorkForce Centers in Dakota and Scott Counties. - Mark Jacobs, Dakota Scott Workforce Investment Board Director